Incandescent electric lighting



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

H. P. BROWN.

INUANDESGBNT ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

No. 330,464. Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

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H. P BROWN.

INGANDESOENT ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

No. 330,464. Patented Nov. 17, 1885} UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD I. BROWVN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INCANDESCENT ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

EwPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 330,464, dated November 17, 1885.

Application filed June 5, 1885. Serial No. 167,715. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HAROLD P. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Incandescent Electric Lighting, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a system or arrangement of circuits for operating incandescent electric lights.

In the present invention, instead of providing each lamp in the group with a separate shuntcircuit provided with a resistance equal to that of the lamp to take the place of the lamp in the group in the case of the failure of the latter, as has usually been the method of operating incandescent lamps in parallel or multiple are, I so arrange the circuit that a single resistance may automatically take the place of any lamp in the group that happens to fail, whichever one it may be. In case two or more lamps fail, or a greater number than .the resistance is calculated to compensate for,

all the lamps in the group are automatically turned out, to guard against injury.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a diagram view illustrating myinvention as applied to four lamps. Fig. 2 is a similar View, showing the same as applied to eight lamps. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagram Views showing the same arrangement of circuits as in Figs. 1 and 2, but in a more simple form. The device for cuttingall the lamps out in case of the failure of more than two of the lamps is omitted in Figs. 3 and 4.

In said drawings, A A represent the main circuit, and B B the lampcircuit or parallel conductors, in or between which the incandescent lamps b I) b b b, &c., are arranged on the cross-wires a a a a each cross-wire having two lamps thereon in series. 0 is a circuit in the nature of a shunt, having a resistance, c, therein, preferably equal to that of two lamps. D is a circuit extending from a point, as 00, between the lamps, on one crosswire, as a, to a point, as m, between the two lamps on another cross-wire, as a, and in which is included an electro-magnet, D. The armature-lever d of this electro-magnet opens the circuit C at (2, except when a current is flowing through the circuit D, and pulls up the armature-lever. The shunt or resistance circuit G has included therein an electromagnet, E, which operates to cut all the lamps out whenever the amount of current on the circuit 0 reaches a certain extent or limit, owing to the failure of more than one lamp. For example, this is done by the increase of current on the shunt or resistance circuit 0 pulling up the armature-lever e, and thus closing at e the short circuit F, so that no portion of the current will then pass through either the lamps or the resistance. To prevent the armature-lever e breaking the short circuit the moment the current ceases, I provide a springcatch, 6 or other suitable device for retaining the switch e in position to keep the short circuit closed.

In the presentinvention I have made a practical application of the principle of the wellknown \Vheatstone bridge to the operation of groups of incandescentlamps, and the system operates on that principle. WVhen all the lamps of the group are burning, the current will divide equally between the cross-wires a and a, Figs. 3 and 1, or a, a, a and a, Figs. 4 and 2, and no current will pass along the wires D. The moment any one of the lamps fails a current is set up on the circuit D, thus causing the magnet D to close the shunt or resistance circuit C. In case a second or third lamp fails, the increase of current due thereto on the shunt-circuitC will cause the electro-magnet E to close the short circuit F, and thus cut out all the lamps. In Fig. 4 I have shown two separate resistances c and circuits 0.

Two or more lamps may be arranged in series on each wire a a a 85c; and the system is applicable to other translating devices than incandescent lamps.

I claim 1. The combination of a main circuit, A, with a lamp-circuit, B, cross-wires a, having two or more lamps each thereon in a series, a shunt or resistance circuit, 0, having resistance 0 therein, a circuit, D, connecting said wires a at points between the lamps thereon, and an electro-magnet, D, in said circuit D, for closing said circuit C in case of the failure of one of the lamps, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a group of lamps arcircuit, a relay-circuit extending between said ranged in multiple series, with two or more cross-conductors having therein an electrolamps on each cross conductor or wire, with a magnet for closing said shunt or resistance 15 shunt or resistance circuit and a relay-circuit circuit, a short circuit, and an elect-ro-magnet 5 extending between said cross-conductors havin said shunt or resistance circuit for closing ing an electro-magnet therein for closing said said short circuit when the amount of current shunt or resistance circuit in case of the faiL on said shunt reaches a certain limit, substanure of one of the lamps, substantially as specitially as specified.

fied. 'HAROLD P. BROWN. IO 3. The combination of a group of lamps ar- XVitnesses: ranged in parallel, but with two lamps on each EDMUND ADcooK,

cross-conductor, with a shunt or resistance EDW. S. EVARTS. 

